ok well this isnt my car its my girlfriends car, but im using it while im rebuilding my rx7. Anyways the car is getting harder and harder to start in this freezing chicago cold. today i had to let it sit in the sun for half the day before it would finally start. It turns but it doesnt want to turn over. and it will sputter just a little tease making me think its going to kick over but it doesnt. here is some background on the car 91 si d16 motor, she has not changed the spark plugs the fuel filter or any other basic maintenance parts on it since she got it from her brother. Also her brother put a distributor on the car that is not for the d16, not sure what it belongs to. I went out and bought spark plugs and wires today (i know the wires wont do much but she was paying so what the hell?) any ideas that i might be overlooking on this one?? I appreciate the help.

 

Battery? Cold weather is a bitch to batteries.

 

check the main relay

 

battery is only two months old

 

does it make any noise?
if it make the noise "cack" and nothing after that, then its the starter
if nothing at all then battery
if it makes the noise "chach chach chach..." then distributer or ur fuel (fuel filter or injector)

 

yea, this chicago weather sucks, im gunna go with its not getting enough juice from the battery to crank over, seen it happen......

 

again battery only two months old, its not the starter the starter is turning it just doesnt want to turn over. I figured it was the distributor, i just wanted to see maybe i was overlooking something.

 

dont mean to hijack...but i have kinda the same problem. i will turn the key and i hear a click, but nothing after that. it will happen a few times then eventually if i turn the key all the way back so all power is cut, and try again it will start. it could be temperature. its about 2 degress F right now.

 

Check for spark

 

I'd check for spark then either change the cap and rotor or clean it might have some build up carbon try that see what happens then???MOE@HYPER16VALVE...

 

ignition switch maybe? you can check the wiring for it pretty easy with an ohm-meter and a manual. i just had the same problem with my car. it would crank just fine and sometimes start, but sometimes would just crank and not start. i tested the ignition switch, it tested badly, bought a new one and it was fixed.

 

make sure that ground cable on the battery is nice n tight. if its loose it might not start.

 

Ok same problem,
Only happened once it was weird, ealy winter in Canada. Cold as ****. Never plugged in or anything,
But I found a way to make it start.
For me it slowly got worse and worse, and I know what you mean by it teases you.
While I had the starter going I was just on and off the gas (WOT), I heard the engine roaring,
but nothing showed up on my tach for like 5 seconds but I could hear the engine.
Eventually the tach started showing the rpms and then car idled properly.
Then I added gas line anti freeze and hasn't been a problem scince then.
I think just probably a build up of all sorts **** in the gas line, and the cold weather makes it worse b/c it freezes all that ****.

 

Check for three things: Spark, Timing, and Fuel.

You need spark to ignite the fuel, you need fuel to get ignited, and you need timing so it all happens at the right time.